


Makings of a Kinder Tomorrow

by Soliya



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Moonbase period
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-18
Updated: 2015-05-18
Packaged: 2018-03-31 02:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3960391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soliya/pseuds/Soliya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He wants to offer his hand to the other, but both are tied down by obligation and duty. But Harklight wants to try being selfish just this once to create a kinder tomorrow for one kind, young boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Obligations

**Author's Note:**

> Hasure, hasure, hasure! More lighthearted than my last work. To be honest, I really, really struggled with this. To the point that I've sworn off of ever attempting to write anything in any show's timeline. This chapter focuses on Harklight and the amount of actual Slaine and Harklight interaction is like close to none, but next chapter is almost all them. Warning on a very liberal interpretation of Harklight's family back on Vers.

“Go back to Vers.”

“Pardon, sir?” Harklight was at a loss for words.

“Your father collapsed, right? What sort of son does not go back home to care for his family when his own father has fallen ill?” Slaine’s eyes were cold, and Harklight could not tell what the younger boy was truly thinking behind those blue eyes.

“I cannot, Milord. There are only three months before contact with the Trident Base. I cannot allow myself to part from you during such an important time on personal business.” He couldn’t allow himself to leave Slaine when he was still his only ally.

The trip to and back from Vers could take easily a month even with Aldnoah powered technology. Harklight felt a chill go down his spine at just the thought of what people who thought ill of Slaine might do when they saw that Harklight was no longer in the way. While he had the protection of Saazbaum’s name behind him, Slaine Troyard was still a Terran and to the battered and bitter soldiers of Vers, that in itself was damning.

Harklight had never felt so powerless before serving under Slaine. As one of a third class birth, he had always ran into wall after wall of obstacles, but he had always felt that there was something, no matter how small, that he could do. It was hopeless to dream of comfort and peaceful life, but when he had first received his first promotion and sent back his first paycheck to his family, he did surely touch the physical manifestations of his efforts. He was not so young as to think there was nothing out of his reach as long as he tried, but Harklight did indeed believe he could make a difference.

But there was nothing he could do about the racism ever so deep in the blood of Versians. No matter how many victories Slaine won, no matter how much he gave to the war effort, no matter how many times he stained his hands with the blood of his kind, there would be those who would still spit on it all. And there was nothing Harklight could do except to continue to loyally serve him and Slaine wouldn’t even accept that.

He recalls how he could only help his master gather his bearings after taking the full brunt of years of resentment and jealousy. He recalls how Slaine would look at him with those grateful eyes for simply just helping him up and bandaging his wounds. He recalls the embarrassed flush that spread across that pale face when he had first expressed his admiration for his younger superior.

They were all nothing! They were all such normal things and yet, Slaine had smiled as if Harklight was showing him a brand new world and that was the most infuriating thing of all.

It pained him how he hadn’t truly given him anything and yet he received such sincere feelings. It made him feel dirty.

If he were to go back to Vers now, he would be going back home to the warm smiles of his mother and younger siblings, all while Slaine would be completely alone in this den of wolves. How did he expect him to laugh with those who would unconditionally love him while Slaine believed he had no one? He imagined Slaine’s lonesome figure and he couldn’t bring himself to even consider going back. Yes, he could speculate from his mother’s tone of voice that his father might not live much longer, but there were also duties and obligations he had here.

He stopped in his tracks. Since when did he start prioritizing his duty over his family? No, it wasn’t really his duty that was keeping him on the moon.

He looked into Slaine’s blue eyes again and felt his chest tighten.

His conviction hardened. There was no way he could abandon this boy. It was a funny thought, really. To think of this Knight who had made his name one to be feared by Martians and Terrans alike as a boy.

But to Harklight, that’s exactly what Slaine Troyard was. A boy.

A boy who was desperately trying to act like an adult.

Master Slaine, you probably don’t realize it yourself and I’ve probably turned the other way up until now, thinking it was for your sake to do so, but it seems I was wrong.

Lonely, lonely. I’m lonely.

It was truly fascinating how much Slaine’s eyes spoke more than his mouth did. Chuckling at the memory of how his brother had teased him with the ‘dead fish-eyes’ nickname, Harklight felt more light-hearted than he had in a while.

This is not out of duty. It’s what I want.

Surely his family would forgive him for being selfish just this once?

“I would like to stay by your side, Master Troyard.” It was slightly embarrassing to say it in words, but Harklight felt like it must be said.

He has to let this boy know. Let him know that you are not alone.

I will always be by your side. I will always be your ally.

 

 

 

“This is an order, Harklight. I won’t say it again.”

 

“Go back.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It’s Hark!!” His sister screamed the moment he opened the door to his house and tackled him. “Mommy! It’s Hark! It’s Hark!!”

“Harklight!?” His mother quickly wiped her hands on her apron before rushing over to the door and pulling him into a tight hug. “I can’t believe it...Why?”

His lips tightened and bitterness overwhelmed his senses. “Superior’s orders.”

His mother seemed to have noticed his mood change, but decided not to comment on it. “Come sit down, I’m almost done making dinner.”

He set down his bag by the door and took in a long look of the room---his...home.

The smell of the slums was familiar to his nose. He never did get used to how cleanly and stale the air on the Moonbase and landing castles was like.

This was where he was born and this was where he would come back to. It was his place.

“Hark! I missed you...I missed you so much...” His little sister cried while clinging onto his clothes. He couldn’t help but smile.

Sweeping her up into his arms, he gently caressed her hair. It was soft to touch and it reminded him of another’s hair flowing through the light. “I missed you too, Ophelia.”

He felt another small body tackle him from behind. He turned his head down and saw it was his little brother, his face buried deep within his pants leg so that he couldn’t see what expression he was making.

Harklight kneeled down while still carrying Ophelia and stroked his fingers through Horatio’s hair.

“Come on, Horatio. Why are you crying? Didn’t you tell me when I left that you’d become strong enough to protect Ophelia and mother by yourself?” He gently chided and chuckled when Horatio raised his head, face messy with tears.

“I, I am not crying!!”

Don’t say that with snot hanging from your nose. Harklight laughed and scooped up Horatio into his arms as well.

Horatio quickly stuffed his face into Harklight’s chest, but Harklight found that he didn’t mind if his clothes got dirty.

“You’re here anyway...” He heard Horatio mumble. “You’re here now so I don’t have to be......Haaark...!”

Horatio started to wail which caused Ophelia’s dried eyes to tear up again.

In the background, he could hear his mother chiding the two for troubling him when he was still tired from the long trip.

Wrapped in the warmth of the children’s heat, Harklight felt like he had truly come home.

Though the image of a pale blonde trembling in a corner alone never left his mind.

 

 

 

 

“So...What brings you back?” His mother asked while they were both settled around the table. The clock read 11 PM and the kids were already tucked into bed. Ophelia had tried her best to stay up to stick by Harklight’s side as if she was afraid he would leave while she was asleep, but eventually she couldn’t win against her need for sleep and knocked out with her small hand still grasping Harklight’s hand.

“I said it earlier, didn’t I?” Harklight darkly remembered his last words with Slaine. He remembered the frail back of his master when he walked away from him. He couldn’t disobey orders. He couldn’t reach him.

He was painfully reminded him of his place. Three steps behind, never by his side.

“Quite a strange one, isn’t he?” His mother mused. “I’ve never heard of sending back one of your subordinates back home during a war to visit his family. Not that I’m not grateful! I...thought I’d never see you again, Harklight.”

His mother drew closer and took his hands into hers. Gently stroking them like she did when he was young, she kissed his forehead and whispered, “Thank you for being safe. Welcome back home, Harklight.”

Home.

That’s right, Harklight. Isn’t this what you’ve worked your whole life for?

Who did their best to raise you?

Who slaved away day and night for you?

Who embraced you when you were cold?

Who have you been fighting for this entire time?

Where do your loyalties lie?

 

Don’t allow yourself what they cannot have, Harklight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His father was still in the hospital so he couldn’t see him right away, but his mother mentioned that they could go visit him tomorrow. As a family.

The thing Slaine did not possess even when Harklight had offered his hand.

He thinks to himself how he still desperately wishes he could be by that boy’s side even so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Harklight...!?” His father shouted out in surprise the moment he saw Harklight’s face. “What? Huh?”

He couldn’t help but smile. His father had always been a stern man, one of few words, so it was amusing to see him so flustered. He had no doubt in his mind that he was loved, but his father had a hard time expressing it unlike his mother who was straight forward to the point it was embarrassing for everyone except her. He definitely took after his father.

Harklight furrowed his brow looking at his father. He was relieved that he was receiving proper care, though where the money for this came from, he did not know. He knelt beside the hospital bed and took his hand into his. “I’m back, father.”

“Welcome back home, Harklight.” His father smiled weakly at him.

His mother left to spoke with some nurses while Ophelia and Horatio jumped onto the bed to hug their father.

His father’s hands were much smaller than he remembered them being. These were the hands that worked tirelessly to support him. These were the hands that pulled Harklight along when he was tired and wanted to give up. These were the hands that held him with such strength that Harklight felt like there was nothing to fear of in the world.

Had they always been this frail?

He looked at his father again. His cheeks were hollow. His face sagged with wrinkles. His hair was white.

This was the father he had missed seeing while he was gone.

These hands were no longer the strong hands that supported him. They were ones that needed support themselves.

And who else was there but Harklight to do so?

For your family, Harklight.

 

 

 

 

 

“You feeling okay, Hark?” Ophelia asked him when they returned from the hospital. She tugged his pants leg and looked up at him with worried eyes.

He shook his head free of what he was thinking about. How could he let his younger sister worry about him? Get it together.

“I’m fine, Ophelia.” He tried comforting her with a smile, but she didn’t seem so convinced and stumbled back. She took a long look at his face before running away into the room she shared with Horatio.

“If you keep looking like that, I’d want to run away too.” His mother lightly patted his shoulder. Even she looked tired, older now.

“Do...I look that bad?” He slowly questioned. It must have been the shock from seeing his once fearsome father so weakened.

He had at best two months left, the doctors estimated. It wasn’t exactly outside of Harklight’s expectations. The only decent paying jobs people from the third class could get were dangerous and dealt with chemicals and fumes that couldn’t be safe for the human body.

Poisonous fumes and residues left in the air were common problems of drilling deeper into the surface of Mars for raw materials. Harklight bitterly thinks about how the Kats the nobles possessed and the grand landing castles they showed off were all built on the backs of those who had no choice.

The average age of those working in such mines was 24 years old. His father was already approaching 60. He had worked in those mines for almost his entire life, all to feed his family. And what had he been doing?

Harklight wanted to weep for his father. He couldn’t allow him to suffer any longer. He was no longer the young boy who cried after falling down. He was no longer the one who needed help up.

He was the one who would support them from now on. Wholeheartedly.

I’m sorry, Master Slaine.

You were right to reject my hand.

His mother kept glancing up at him as if to silently ask if he was okay. He couldn’t let her keep worrying. He was going to be the head of this household from now on.

“I’ll go apologize to Ophelia.” Not yet able to look at her in the eye in fear that she would see every filthy emotion running through his veins, he rushed towards the room his younger siblings shared.

Cautiously opening the door, he peered in to find the two were playing with some makeshift dolls.

“For the glory of Vers!! I, Count Horatio, will defeat you dirty Terrans!!” Horatio shouted while waving his arm holding the doll around.

“Just try!” Ophelia squealed while throwing around her doll.

Horatio dodged her throw and laughed. “Ha! You think your stupid Terran craft can defeat the power of Aldnoah!?”

He quickly ran over to where the doll was and crushed it in his hand. “You’re dead, Terran!”

“No fair!” Ophelia looked like she was going to cry. “Why am I always the Terran!?”

“Because I’m the Count, duh.”

“That’s not fair!! I want to be a Count too! I don’t want to be a dirty Terran! I always lose!”

“Terrans are supposed to die, gosh, don’t you know anything?”

Harklight was stunned. Since when did these two start thinking this way?

It was only a game, but Harklight could see the traces of real venom for Terrans in it. This was how it started. This was how the next generation was being bred into hating the enemy.

They were a foe to be crushed.

They were foolish, inferior.

They had it coming to them.

They were less than human.

Harklight couldn’t stop himself. He rushed in and quickly grabbed the two dolls from Horatio’s hands. Horatio and Ophelia looked at him with wide eyes.

“Where did you learn this game?” His voice was low and dark and he could tell they were getting scared, but he couldn’t control himself.

“F...Francis taught me...” Horatio stuttered.

“You’re not allowed to talk to him anymore.”

“What? Why!?” Horatio couldn’t understand and that was more distressing to Harklight than the game itself.

“Because he teaches you such hateful games.”

“Terrans are suppo—“

“Terrans!” He shouted, silencing Horatio. “Loud, abrasive, crude, ugly, stupid. Undeserving of the home planet. Vile creatures that deserve to die to the full might of the glorious Vers Empire. That’s what they all are, right!?”

“.......Y, yeah.” Horatio stammered out.

“Then why!? Why is the most beautiful and kindest person I have ever met a Terran!?” Horatio and Ophelia flinched from the sheer intensity of the anger in his words.

Why? If Slaine wasn’t a Terran, would Harklight have been able to reach out to him?

Would he have been able to give him something of worth?

Would the boy have accepted him?

Would he have been able to stay by his side?

 

He wanted to yell at Slaine, asking him why he was who he was. It was selfish and unfair, but he couldn’t stop wishing.

He wanted the right to walk by his side, not behind. He wanted to be relied on. He wanted him to tell him his greatest fears. He wanted him to tell him about his dreams. He wanted to be able to laugh with him, smile with him. He wanted to become his family. He wanted to become the place he could call home.

Terran.

That’s all it was. A word. A stupid, worthless six letter word.

And yet why did it keep him so far away from that beautiful smile?

 

He looked up at his siblings, not surprised to see them crying.

Aah, what are you doing, Harklight?

What did you swear just moments before?

Are you going to betray your _real_ family just like that?

Are you going to abandon your flesh and blood?

What about your father? Mother? Siblings?

Are you going to let them suffer for your own selfish desires?

After all they did for you?

 

Words wouldn’t come out. He wanted to reach out to them, to comfort them. He couldn’t abandon them, they were his family. But he also couldn’t give up on Slaine. He didn’t want to let go of either.

He never realized he was so selfish.

Giving up on things came easily to him, but there was not a single part of him that wanted to give up on one for the other.

His family and Slaine. They were equally precious. It was cruel to make him choose.

Let me have just this.

I’ve given up on enough, haven’t I?

“Harklight.” It was his mother. She swiftly hushed the crying Horatio and Ophelia and motioned for him to come with her out of the room.

She walked out of the house and Harklight silently followed behind.

They walked for a while without a word being exchanged between them. Harklight looked at everywhere except at his mother. He looked at the shabby shops and dusty roads. He looked at the people laughing despite the hardships of the day. He looked at this place where he was raised and realized he was no longer truly a part of it and did not want to be.

“Can you see what they call ‘stars’ from space?” His mother was the one to break the silence.

“...Yes. I consider it one of the few perks of the job.” Feeling uncomfortable, he tried lightening the mood though his usually sunny mother did not laugh.

“It must be lovely.” She whispered, still walking on. “It was my childhood dream, you know. I wanted to pilot a Kat in space and just gaze at the stars.”

Harklight couldn’t find a proper response to that. He knew that his mother married young and soon became pregnant with him so it must have been impossible for her to join the military. She had given up on her dream for him.

He was overwhelmed again with a sense that he was being selfish. Yet, he still couldn’t let go.

“Hey, Harklight.” She finally turned around him and he was surprised to see she was smiling. “What’s your dream?”

His dream...His mouth automatically opened up to say his family’s happiness, but his mother’s sharp eyes stopped him in his tracks. She would not allow that answer because she knew that wasn’t it.

But what was his dream really?

He had lived his life so far only thinking about how to get to the next goal post. Others were tools. It seemed cold, but what could one do when from the moment you were born, others had decided your life was simply just worth less. There was no moment in his daily life that he did not think about how not all people were truly people in every action he took, every meal he ate, and every person he met.

His mother’s eyes told him she would not forgive him if he used their family as an excuse.

She knew he already knew what he wanted.

“My dream...is to be someone who can stand by that person’s side. I...want to become that person’s dream.” His home. His family. His place to be.

“See!” His mother’s finger flicked him on the forehead. Astonished, he couldn’t even react. How did a woman in her 40s catch a trained soldier off guard? “Now wasn’t that easy?”

“Huh?” He could only let out a pathetic sound.

“You think too much. You always did. Your father and I worried about that a lot when you were younger.” She sighed and then, grinned like a cat at him.

She suddenly embraced him into a tight hug. He felt his face catch on fire. They were out in public and there were still people outside.

“M, Mother!” He tried wiggling away but her grip was strong and he found he couldn’t shake her off.

“Hey, Harklight.” Her voice was solemn and he stopped struggling. “You’re a grown man now.”

He couldn’t see where she was going with this.

“Isn’t it amazing? I used to be able to hold you with one arm and now look. I have to look up to see your face. You used to tell me all the time how mother is the best! The prettiest! The nicest! Remember how you came up to me one day when you were five and told me you couldn’t get married because no one could compare to me?”

“Mother! That was how many years ago!?” He was getting flustered beyond belief.

She pulled away and looked at him. “And now look at you. I’m not the prettiest or kindest person in your life anymore, right? That title belongs to that person, right?”

“...Yes.” It felt so easy to accept it.

“Haha, you’re so honest! At least that doesn’t change.” She smiled at him and then tossed her hair behind her and struck a pose. “Well, maybe if I was a bit younger, you know, I could still compete with the best of them.”

“That wouldn’t change how that person is as beautiful as the stars in my eyes. They would still be the most beautiful person I know.”

“Gods, how I wish your father was half as romantic as you are!” She slapped her hand onto her face. “Let your mother have some face, will you?”

“I apologize.” He finally was able to smile in what felt like a long time.

“But knowing you, you’re probably as stiff as a stick in front of them, right?”

“...That’s not true.”

“Don’t bother trying to lie to your mother.” She side eyed him. “If you’re going to win her heart, you have to be more open about your feelings! You can’t expect her to be as good as reading you as I am.”

He stopped. He was unsure if he should tell his mother, but if they’ve come this far, he wanted to let her know.

“It’s not a her.”

“What?”

He found himself avoiding her eyes again.

“Oh.” She stared blankly at him. “Pardon me then. If you’re going to win _his_ heart, you have to be more open about your feelings. Even more so, actually!”

“...That’s it?”

“What’s there more to say? It’s someone you chose after all.” She gently smiled and held his hands again. “I do admit I’m disappointed I’ll have to wait longer to see the faces of my grandchildren, but I think I can wait a bit longer. Horatio is more popular with the ladies than you were too.”

“As long as I have Master Slaine, I don’t need to be popular.”

His mother stopped walking. “Slaine...? Wait, your superior?”

“Do you know of him?” He guessed it wasn’t too far-fetched. Slaine had been making a name for himself and he was more liked by the lower classes.

“...Hey, Harklight.” She smiled ever so gently and happily at him. “I think you’re right.”

“About what?”

“That boy might possibly be the kindest person I’ve ever met.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

They had walked in a circle and were approaching the house.

“Hey, Harklight.”

“Yes, Mother?”

“You really don’t have to choose, did you know?”

He didn’t understand what she meant.

“Family or your dream. You have to choose one or the other.” She grinned. “Is what you’re thinking, right?”

She had hit it right on the money. Harklight wasn’t even surprised.

“Let your mother teach you a little trick then so you don’t have to.”

Did such a method even exist?

How could it when they were on different sides of the solar system?

“It’s simple...Just make that dream boy of yours family. Then all you have to do is choose your family. Right?”

He was speechless. It was simple, almost too simple. Yet, he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

He was being allowed to pursue both, no that one path.

“Hark!!” Ophelia and Horatio ran out of the door and tackled Harklight. Their tears stained his pants again. “We’re sorry...We’re sorry...”

A pang of guilt hurt his chest. He forgot that they had left them after he had just blown up on them. “No, I’m the one who should apologize. It wasn’t right for me to yell about something that wasn’t really your fault.”

“No, we made you sad!” Ophelia cried out. “I hate it when people make fun of the people I love too!”

“L, Love?”

“She must be prettier than mommy if Hark likes her that much.” Horatio speculated and Harklight could hardly keep a shrill from rising out his throat. Horatio looked a bit embarrassed as he scratched his cheek. “Well, there’s this girl I know too and I—“

“I knew it! You said you didn’t like her!” Ophelia jumped on him.

“I, I don’t!”

“Liar, liar, pants on fire!”

The two ran inside with Horatio chasing after Ophelia. It was as if their tears from moments before were a lie.

“Children are so fickle.” His mother said while looking upon them with warm eyes. “Seems like you’ll need to answer their expectations now. And mine of course. I want pictures of your little crush.”

“Mother!” He had never been teased so often by his family.

“But do you see now?” She smiled at him and warmth spread throughout his body to the ends of his fingers tips.

“Am I really allowed this?” He still felt hesitant.

His mother slapped his back. “Come on! You’re such a coward when it counts.”

“We’re your family, Harklight. Just as you wish for our happiness, we wish the same upon you.” She hugged him again and stroked his hair. “You’re allowed to pursue your own happiness. You’re allowed to be selfish. No one has the right to take that away from you. Not the nobles, not your superiors, not us, and especially not yourself.”

His arms slowly wrapped around her as well and he realized just how small she seemed now. But that did not change how she was so, so warm.

“So, seriously, send me pictures of your dates, okay?”

“Mother!!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harklight stared at the red planet. He was on board of a shuttle back to the Moonbase. Still hesitant on leaving his family alone when he knew his father had little time left, he was practically pushed onto the shuttle by his mother and younger siblings.

As for his father, he had simply smiled and hugged him as well.

“That’s a good look you have there now, Harklight.”

He was acknowledged. He was given permission. No, he was given his father’s blessings.

He’s lucky, he thinks to himself. To be blessed with such a wonderful family. They’ve given him more than a home to go back to; they’ve given him kindness and warmth that he could now share with others.

And there was only one other that he wanted to share it with.

Sir Slaine Troyard.

He recalls the younger boy’s pale blonde hair, how soft it looked to touch. He recalls that timid voice that stubbornly called his name with formalities. He recalls those deep blue eyes with shades of green that remind him of the oceans that cover most of Earth. He recalls how they screamed of loneliness when his mouth would not.

I have no regrets left on Vers.

There is no turning back now.

 

“Please take responsibility for this, Master Slaine.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are only two weeks till Harklight’s shuttle lands on the Moonbase. There are only two weeks till Slaine finds himself embarrassed when the first thing Harklight does is kneel at his feet. There are only two weeks till Harklight starts expressing his devotion at every possible opportunity.

There is only a month till Slaine gives up on stopping him from doing it. There is only a month till everyone can see that he enjoys the attention.

There are only two months till the battle of the Trident Base. There are only two months till Slaine lays his hand on the one who he came to love as his father.

There are only two months till Harklight would stay right by Slaine’s side, holding his hand as the newly appointed Count—no, young boy—would cry from regret and realization that he was no better than any of the lives he took and that the path he walked on was one of no light or hope.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The strategy of only posting when I'm mostly done seems to keep me working. Hasure interaction and fluff (I hope).

“No.”

“Princess Lemrina...” Slaine looked absolutely distressed.

“I said no!” She glared at Harklight. “I will not! Kiss him!”

“Princess...It’s technically not a kiss. It’s just a ritual for the activation rights.” Slaine tried calmly explaining, but Lemrina just shook her head.

Harklight didn’t really blame the princess for her refusal. Her last kiss was with Slaine and knowing her strong feelings for him, she wouldn’t want anyone else’s kiss to come after it. She could just force him to kiss her after, but the princess was unexpectedly shy and it was probably too much for her to ask of such a thing.

“Then why can’t I just activate it myself?”

“All knights have activation rights. It would look bad on Harklight if he did not ever possess any.”

“Then how about I give you rights again and you can activate it. I’m sure Harklight would love to pilot a Herschel activated by you and if it’s at least activated by a Count, I’m sure no one would question his legitimacy.”

She was sneakier than he had expected. She was turning the situation into one where she could kiss Slaine once more and Harklight would be forced to watch. All’s fair in love and war, is how it goes.

“Well...” Slaine was quite easily pushed around on matters such as this and Harklight had to think fast.

“Master Slaine.”

“Yes, Harklight?”

“I think it would be wise for me to activate it. In the case of my death, the Herschel’s Aldnoah drive would power down and Terran forces would be unable to use it.”

“Harklight...! Don’t say such things.” Even Lemrina looked upset at that.

“We must think of every possible situation, Milord. I cannot bear the thought of causing you trouble if I lost my life.”

“You would never...” Slaine’s eyes narrowed sorrowfully. Harklight still felt like they screamed of loneliness. It wasn’t something he expected to change overnight, but it still did lower his spirits to see how his young master continued to steadily reject letting Harklight into his inner space.

Lemrina silently observed the two. “...I understand. Then, let’s get this over with. Here, Harklight.”

“Wait, maybe I really shou—“ Slaine’s protests went unheard as the two’s lips met and the light of the Aldnoah flowed through them both.

“There. It’s not a big deal.” Lemrina huffed as she leaned back on her wheelchair. She looked at Harklight and he could tell she was declaring this round a draw.

“I...I see...” Slaine stammered out, looking a bit stunned. Harklight had to wonder why though considering this was all his idea.

“Come to think of it though...If a kiss passes on activation rights...Did that mean Count Saazbaum had to kiss my grandfather......?”

“For Saazbaum’s honor and my sanity, let’s stop talking about this.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Master Slaine.”

The Tharsis gracefully landed in the docks and out from it came the pale blonde haired Count. Harklight’s master.

“Harklight.”

“A brilliant play.” He couldn’t help but express his pride.

UFE forces had sent out a platoon of Kats to destroy a small fleet of supply ships much to the surprise of the staff on the Moonbase. Only lightly armed, most had given up on saving the fleet before Tharsis rushed in and decimated the enemy forces.

Deploying amongst the sneers of those on the Moonbase turned out to be the correct decision as now there would be no doubt amongst the commoners of Vers that Count Saazbaum Troyard was the people’s man. Harklight felt smug looking at the frustrated looks of those who had berated the young Count before.

“It really wasn’t much.” A light blush dashed those round cheeks and his blonde hair framed his face and Harklight felt the unexplainable urge to touch them. He remembered how his mother had stroked his hair that night, but there was obviously no way that he could do that.

“How were you so sure they would attack? They had let small supply ships before pass with no action before.” He looked back at Tharsis as if to ask whether it had shown him the future.

Slaine laughed and a pleasant feeling welled up in his chest at the sound. “Even Tharsis can’t see that far into the future.”

He continued smiling as they made their way down to the floor of the docks. Harklight was so captivated that he didn’t notice the familiar red clothes till the wearer was standing right in front of them.

A Countess. Her red hair was held up in a ponytail and her dark blue eyes were staring straight at Slaine.

Harklight stiffened. While lower ranked soldiers wouldn’t dare challenge Slaine so openly after he had just completed a rescue mission, there was no telling what a Count would do. He noticed that the regular soldiers were clearing out of the room as if to escape from a clash between Counts. He only now noticed that Slaine had stepped in front of him, as if to guard him from any stinging words, and it hurt him.

“Calm down your mad dog, will you?” The Countess complained.

He hadn’t even realized he had been glaring.

To the surprise of them both, the Countess then burst into a wide smile and ruffled Slaine’s hair.

“You have some foresight there, kid! Those UFE scum probably don’t know what hit them!” Her grin deepened. “They think they can get away with such cowardice! Ha!”

She suddenly froze and pulled on one of the strands of Slaine’s pale blonde hair, ignoring his little yelp of pain. “It’s...so fluffy...What do you use?”

“Um...I just use the standard issued shampoo and that’s i-ow ow OW!” Slaine cried out as the Countess angrily tugged on some more strands of hair. Harklight couldn’t close his jaw and no matter how much he wanted to help his master, there was little he could do against a Countess.

“Now this. This is unfair.” She complained as she let go of the grasp she had on his locks and went back to patting it instead. “It’s just so...fluffy. How is this fair? Do you think this is fair?”

Harklight didn’t realize she was talking to him. “Ex...cuse me?”

“I said, do you think it’s fair that his hair is so fluffy while using that god awful shampoo this place issues out? I’m using Terran imported stuff, ah, don’t tell that to anyone, and it’s not as nearly as fluffy as his is.” She distastefully touched her own red hair.

“I...really cannot say.” He really couldn’t. What was he supposed to say? He had never even had the chance to touch those fluffy locks no matter how much he wanted to. And now she was getting to him. Bad thoughts, Harklight.

“What? Don’t give me that.” She forcibly took his hand and placed it right on top of Slaine’s head and it took every bone in Harklight’s body not to scream. He could tell Slaine froze up beneath too. “See? Unfair. And you.”

She looked straight at Slaine with a more serious look.

“I’m sorry for your loss. Count Saazbaum was certainly a man who wished nothing but the best for the people of Vers.”

They hadn’t expected her to change subjects so quickly. Truly an unpredictable woman. Slaine’s expression softened. “ I give you my deepest thanks. I swear to live up to his name.”

“Heh, don’t get cocky now.” She grinned and without a further word, she left the two alone in the docking room with Harklight’s hand frozen stiff on top of Slaine’s head.

“Women are strong, aren’t they?”

Harklight wasn’t so sure if the red haired Count was strong or just too used to doing whatever she wanted. Though in a sense, that was a proof of strength too.

But he does agree. Women are strong, he thinks while remembering his mother.

 

After a long silence, Slaine tilted his head slightly to look up to Harklight. “What do you think, Harklight?”

“Excuse me?” How many times has he said that today?

“...My hair...” He looked embarrassed and that familiar red tinted his cheeks once more.

Harklight could feel himself getting embarrassed as well and he realized that his hand was still on Slaine’s head. “Ah. Well, that’s, um.”

“Yes?”

“It’s...very fluffy.” He mentally kicked himself. Magician of words, aren’t you, Harklight? Fluffy wasn’t enough to describe this heavenly feeling in his hands.

Slaine did not seem to mind though. He smiled and Harklight’s heart stopped. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. And thank you too.” It came out before he could stop himself.

For what? Slaine looked confused.

He kicked himself again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Harklight.”

“Master Slaine?” It was rare for the Count to come see him in person. “You need not inconvenience yourself this way. If you called for me, I would have rushed over to your office.”

The Count looked like he was having a tough time saying what he wanted to say. “Well...I just thought that maybe you should get some practice with Herschel in. I would help.”

“Milord, you do realize it’s 10 PM?” No one would be at the docks and the control room staff was scarce at this hour.

“It’s fine if you’re tired. I wouldn’t want to force you.” Slaine backtracked and hurriedly started walking away. “You’re dismissed for the night. Rest well!”

“Wait, Master Slaine!”

He barely stopped himself from grabbing Slaine’s wrist.

“Harklight...?” He gazed into those blue eyes.

“I’d love to practice. Let’s practice. Please let me practice.”

Slaine’s eyes widened and Harklight thought to himself that it made him look like that one domestic animal Terrans keep. What was it? A kat? Strange to name a pet after your weapons of destruction.

 

 

 

 

 

As expected, the docks were empty of people. Harklight had sent a message to the control center that he would be launching Herschel. The staff sounded surprised which surprised him in turn. Hadn’t this been planned?

He looked over to his superior and object of affections. He was observing Herschel, the Kat that he had won from killing Count Marylcian. It had already been quite some time since he had been given the machine and he would say himself that he wasn’t necessarily unskilled in piloting it so he didn’t understand why the Count would suggest extra practice.

Maybe he just wanted to be alone with me?

His heart beat faster and quickly went back to normal. Impossible.

That and they wouldn’t be “alone” anyway. While there wasn’t anyone in the docks, the control staff could still see them through the cameras.

And soon he would be launching the Herschel while Slaine stayed behind and probably observed through the monitors.

“Shall I launch now, Master Slaine?”

“Hm? Ah, yes. Go ahead whenever you feel ready, Harklight.” The blonde turned to smile at him and Harklight started caring less about the reasons for why he was called here. It’s like his mother told him, you think too much.

He pushed off of the ground and moved through the air to land on the cockpit of Herschel. Opening it, he settled down and touched the handles.

The light of Aldnoah flowed through the machine and the monitors sprang to life. He felt a shadow over him.

“Master Slaine? What are you---”

Slaine jumped into the cockpit and settled himself on Harklight’s lap.

Harklight promptly felt his consciousness go white for a good minute before he got ahold of himself and screamed, “M, Master Slaine!? What are you doing!?”

“Helping you.” Slaine looked straight ahead, not meeting his eyes.

“H...elping me...?”

“Yes. I told you I’d help you train, right? How am I supposed to help you when I’m still on the base while you’re out in space?”

Well, I don’t see how you can help me on my lap, but...

Harklight wasn’t about to complain.

He adjusted his posture so Slaine wouldn’t fall off and shivered slightly at the feel of Slaine’s...and bad thoughts, Harklight.

Once Slaine saw that Harklight had put his hands on the controls, he twisted his body so he could hold onto Harklight’s shoulders. “Am I blocking your view?”

“No. Not at all.” He peeped.

“Great.” He smiled and Harklight wasn’t sure if he was going to make it back to the base with his heart intact.

“I don’t think I’ve told you before, but you look good in that.”

“In the knight uniform?”

“Yes. It suits you, Sir Harklight.” Slaine smiled. Harklight’s heart beat faster and he hoped Slaine would not be able to tell. “More so than it did on me, I think.”

“That is not true at all, Master Slaine! You look absolutely wonderful in everything you wear. No, it is because of you that the clothes look lovely.” He babbled, but Slaine wasn’t really paying attention.

Slaine’s fingers slowly moved from his shoulders to the middle to play with the collar of the uniform and then, inch by inch down to his chest. Harklight held his breath, willing his heart to not burst.

“You’re surprisingly muscular, aren’t you?” Slaine sounded surprised. He wasn’t sure if he should be offended.

“I am a soldier after all...” He managed to let out.

“And I am not?” Slaine smirked. “Feel mine. I always had trouble gaining muscle mass.”

Seeing as how Harklight wasn’t going to do it himself, Slaine grabbed one of his hands and placed it on his stomach. Harklight could probably die happy after today. Not that he could for his master’s sake though.

“There is something there though, Milord. It’ll come more with age.” He assured him.

“I hope so...Don’t you think some of the other Counts look down on me for it? I do acknowledge I’m not the most intimidating of people though.” He mused. “Count Irene won’t stop ruffling my hair whenever she sees me. If I was bulkier, she wouldn’t do so, correct?”

Count Irene. She was the red haired Count that had first made such blatant, friendly contact with Slaine. Remembering how she forced his hand on top of Slaine’s head, he wasn’t so sure if they were so different now that Slaine had forced his hand on his stomach.

“Well, nothing that can be done in a day I suppose. Deploy, Harklight.”

“As you command, Milord. Herschel...Launch!”

The Kat rose from the floor and shot out of the opened gates. They were soon flying through space, rushing past broken fragments of the moon and away from prying eyes.

Harklight glanced to his side and saw that Slaine’s eyes were captured by the site of the stars as Herschel rushed through. Feeling an urge to impress, he went through loops, did narrow turns, and made sudden movements. It probably wasn’t much compared to the crazy maneuver work Slaine did in the Tharsis, but Harklight assumed it somehow had to be different when you were in a foreign Kat.

What was probably only 10 minutes felt like forever.

Finding a good stray mass of rock to land on, Harklight perched the Herschel on top of it. From the monitors, the vast blue bodies of water and masses of land of Earth could be seen. Slaine’s homeland.

They stayed like that in silence for awhile. It was peaceful. Just the two of them, in space, watching the stars and the Earth. It was like his mother’s childhood dream. Harklight felt a strange sense of joy in being able to fulfill one of the dreams she had abandoned.

“This is the first time I’m really looking at the stars from a Kat.” Slaine was the first to break the silence.

“You don’t see them every time you pilot the Tharsis?”

Slaine wryly smiled. “The Tharsis’ ability is to see the future. I find myself constantly only looking for what comes next. Always reaching for the next step, the next answer. Even if it isn’t there.”

Harklight is reminded of the now awakened Princess. As someone who had been by Slaine’s side through his desperation, his breakdown, and his despair—he could not bring himself to like her.

He admitted that it stemmed from jealousy. He was envious of the Princess who monopolized all of Slaine’s affections while doing nothing at all. In that sense, he and Princess Lemrina were very similar.

However, no matter what he felt, he wished for Slaine’s happiness above all else. If the Princess made the blonde happy, there was no more to say from him. But...he looked at Slaine’s blue eyes. They were filled with feelings of regret and a desire to give up. No, they had already given up.

And Harklight couldn’t accept that.

He wouldn’t let Slaine Troyard give up like this.

He wouldn’t let Slaine Troyard go on believing that he was alone.

No one is truly alone. Especially not someone as kind as Slaine.

 

Before he could speak, Slaine opened his mouth. “It was gorgeous. I hadn’t realized that space could be so warm. That the stars could be so beautiful.”

A tear trailed down his cheeks. “I never knew...I never thought to look. Just what was I looking at this entire time?”

“Master Slaine...”

“I’ve been looking through so many different futures and yet I couldn’t see what was in front of me. Aren’t I stupid, Harklight? Aren’t I just a fool?”

He wanted to protest, but Slaine’s tone of voice stopped him from speaking up.

“I’ve led you all on a wild goose chase. I’ve lied to you all. I’ve lied and betrayed so many that I’m past the point of return and I’m dragging you all down with me.”

Slaine crumbled and he leaned his head on Harklight’s chest. “Tell me you hate me. Tell me you’ll never forgive me...Tell me you’ll abandon me when the time comes, Harklight.”

Abandon? Never forgive? Hate?

Harklight felt his breathing get heavier and his fists clenched together.

Don’t think so lowly of me!

“Master Slaine. I’m afraid you misunderstand.”

Slaine looked up, confused.

 

 

“I love you.”

 

 

“Huh...?”

 

 

Slaine’s eyes were wide and unintelligible sounds spluttered from his mouth. It was to be expected considering he just told Harklight to say he hated him, yet he had said the complete opposite.

“I love you.” He repeated it. And again. “I love you, I would never hate you.”

Slaine’s face was now beet red and Harklight thought that steam might come out from his ears.

“I love you.”

“I...get it. I get it already!”

“No, you do not. It was quite rude to presume that I would even consider abandoning you. Please apologize.” He was being out of his place, but he couldn’t help it. Slaine was right in front of him, blushing from head to toe, and he was angry with him.

“I’m sorry...I’ll apologize so please just...” Slaine covered his face with one of his hands and tried pushing away Harklight with the other, but it was futile in such close quarters.

Harklight moved the hand that was blocking him from seeing Slaine’s face out of the way and held onto the sides of his cheeks with his own hands.

“Do you understand now? I love you. There’s nothing I need to forgive you about. And I will never abandon you.”

Slaine slowly nodded once, and twice.

Satisfied, Harklight let go and Slaine collapsed onto Harklight’s body, but soon realized what he was doing and scooted as far as he could. Not that it was very far though, to Harklight’s amusement.

“So...Master Slaine. Please tell me about yourself.”

“What?” Slaine looked absolutely frustrated with him.

“Tell me about where you were born. What part of Earth? I wish to know. It’s natural to want to know more about the one you love, right?”

Slaine stumbled at that, but was grateful for an opportunity to not have to look at Harklight in the eye anymore.

Slowly, Slaine started talking about the countries of Earth. Of Northern Europe where he was born. A small town in the middle of the country. A simple one where life was peaceful and nature was always close by.

Despite himself, Harklight imagined a life like that with Slaine. He would wake up early in the morning to tend to the animals while Slaine would continue sleeping in the bed they shared. He would soon wake up in a panic, saying he’d prepare breakfast, only to find it already made by Harklight. He would apologize and pout, saying he wanted Harklight to taste his cooking, but Harklight would just laugh and say he wants to spoil Slaine. They would go for walks together, gathering flowers and Slaine would tell him about its name and meaning. They would cuddle together on the porch outside as they gazed at the stars. Slaine would tell him about the constellations and Harklight would listen intently. Slaine would eventually fall asleep and Harklight would gently carry him to their bed. He would kiss those lips and whisper goodnight. Slaine would wake up and in a daze say...

He felt something warm touch upon his lips.

Before he registered what they were, the warmth faded away.

Harklight stared stunned at Slaine who was looking to the side again with a blush across his face.

Both of them didn’t speak.

He had done all that teasing earlier, but he would have never dared to do something like that.

Noticing how even Harklight was too surprised to speak, Slaine smiled like the little devil he was.

“Don’t think too much on it, Harklight. I’m just overwriting the kiss you had with Princess Lemrina.”

“Overwriting?” What was this boy talking about?

“I did feel a bit bad about forcing you two into it. It’s not like I wanted to order your first kiss away—“

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about it then. It wasn’t my first.”

“...”

Should he have not said that? It’s not like he could lie though. He was 25. Wouldn’t it be strange for him to have never kissed someone before?

“How many...?”

“Huh?” Slaine was now close to him again.

“How many women have you kissed before?”

Was this jealousy? Harklight looked into those blue eyes and was startled to see that while the pain of loneliness still lingered in them, there was also something else. There was the green of envy.

He felt the corners of his lips start to turn up. Could you blame him? It didn’t seem like Slaine realized the implications of what he was saying, or maybe he did, but he could hope, could he not?

“Six...or seven? I’m sorry I don’t really keep count.”

“Seven...” Slaine repeated with a look of shock.

“Yes. Seven.” Not that he was really sure about that, but he was pretty sure that Slaine would...

“Let’s overwrite them. Yes, let’s do just that.” Bingo.

“Are you sure, Master Slaine? I thought you only wanted to overwrite kisses that I was forced into.”

Slaine’s face flushed but he was not drawing back.

“Don’t talk back. I’m your superior, Harklight.”

“Isn’t this an abuse of power?”

“You can be the judge of that.”

The distance between them became zero.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Are you alright!?”

Harklight shook awake.

Ah, that’s right.

He was not alone in Herschel with Master Slaine, watching the Earth and stars.

That was a couple days before. It had almost seemed like a dream, but Harklight remembered the feel and taste of those lips on his.

Right now he was in the middle of battle after disobeying orders to surrender. He had just saved Count Barouhcruz from an enemy attack at the cost of Herschel’s arm. There were only 3 Stygis Masters and 6 Slaves left. They all had barely any bullets left.

The situation was needless to say...hopeless.

Yet somehow he was not in despair.

He recalled the short conversation he had with Slaine when he had first turned around and headed back to the Moonbase.

 

“Stop, Harklight! We no longer have any hope of winning. Don’t throw your life away!” Slaine’s eyes pleaded with him. Begging him to abandon him.

But didn't he remember the conversation they had just days before? He would never hate him. There was nothing he needed to forgive him about. He would never abandon him.

“I have made peace with my death long ago, Milord. Please allow me this one selfish act.” Though I’ve been selfish for awhile now.

“Surrender, Harklight!” I don’t want to see you die. I can’t bear to see you go.

The same goes for me, Milord.

Harklight smiled at the look in Slaine’s eyes. They no longer screamed that he was lonely.

He had succeeded.

“Master Slaine. You never did answer my confession.”

Slaine gaped. “This is not the time---“

“Actions speak louder than words, but I’d really like them in words as well. If you’d pardon me, please allow me to hear them when I get back.”

“Harklight!!”

He burned Slaine's face into his mind.

Then, he forcibly turned off the communications and dove into the mass of UFE Kats.

 

 

Harklight couldn’t stop smiling.

He felt alive.

His blood pulsed in his veins.

He was finally walking right by Slaine's side.

He looked towards a small photo perched at the bottom of one of the monitors.

It was him and Slaine smiling inside of Herschel. He had fulfilled his promise to his mother to show her a picture of one of their dates. Well, their only date.

“Those Terrans are not without skill.” He heard Count Barouhcruz say with an air of respect.

He tore his eyes off of the photo and focused his attention back onto the monitors in front of him.

Surely only death awaited.

“Of course. It’s Master Slaine’s birthplace, after all.” He said full of pride.

Slaine was strong. He would be able to stand up again, Harklight was sure of it.

It might take time, but Slaine should know that he was not alone now.

He had Harklight.

“’Don’t try to fight an Olympian Sandstorm’, eh? We seem to have misread the winds, gentlemen.” He spoke of their doom, but Barouhcruz’s voice was full of life and power.

He had to disagree a little though. He had never misread the winds.

He had always believed in Slaine and now...

He looked at the screens showing the Tharsis fighting against the orange Kat.

Slaine believed in him.

“Let’s have another go!”

“I shall join you.”

He took one last look at the blue Earth before rushing forward.

He was saying goodbye to another planet.

There was no regret left in his heart.

 

Because if it was for Slaine, there was nothing he couldn’t do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May tomorrow be a kinder day to you.

 

 

 

 

 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I was the one who made it that way?

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
